


For the night is dark and full of terrors

by abbylabby



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: I feel kinda bad for this, Nightmares, poor bb Jonny, sorry boo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-11
Updated: 2014-09-11
Packaged: 2018-03-19 06:59:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3600648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abbylabby/pseuds/abbylabby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jonny's nightmares through the years.</p>
<p>Title obviously stolen from Game of Thrones. I sincerely hope that RL!Jonny never had a nightmare in his young life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For the night is dark and full of terrors

**Author's Note:**

> Jonny is suffering from pretty bad nightmares. They upset him and might be slightly alarming to people who have trouble with nightmares themselves?   
> I don't know, but if you are suffering from nightmares, or are not comfortable reading about someone suffering from nightmares, please be advised not to read this.

It's Jonny's best kept secret.

Jonny has a few secrets.

Little, insignificant things, like that one time he broke his moms favourite vase(though it definitely hadn't seemed insignificant at the time) or that time he threw up in Dan's guest bathroom and missed the toilet(he totally cleaned it up, as well as he could, being drunk off his ass).

None of them compare to  _it_. Jonathan has nightmares.

He's had them as long as he can remember.

They are vague, threatening things that leave him feeling like there's a creature sitting on his chest, pressing all the air from his lungs and looming over his prone form.

He never tells his parents.

They are very understanding, but firm, about the bed wetting that ensues. Eventually he gets it under control. Going to bed every night, laying under the covers, having his mom turn off the light and keeping his voice steady when he tells her good night, it takes all the strength in his little body.

It gets better when David starts sharing his room.

The monsters lurking in his mind are pacified by the presence of another person, only making themselves known occasionally.

Jonny encourages David to sleep in his bed. David is only too happy to share with his big brother.

Things are better, but never quite good.

Jonny can function. He gets to sleep most nights.

His hockey is excellent. There's talk that he will make it big.

His parents are so proud. David is over the moon.

They play hockey in the rink behind the house, the neighbourhood kids join them.

Days blend into weeks, blend into months, blend into years.

David doesn't sleep with him anymore. First he just slept in his own bed, then his own room.

The monsters return with a vengeance.

He'd forgotten their vicious ways.

His mom looks at him over the breakfast table and tells him he's looking pale, asking him if he's coming down with something.

He shakes his head.

Jonathan goes to bed at night, the way other people go to war. With no hope of a safe return, but an iron will. By sheer willpower alone he manages to establish something of a sleep rhythm.

His mother seems pleased he's looking like less of a walking corpse.

His hockey is better than ever. He's feeling settled, as settled as he's ever felt.

Of course it doesn't last.

It's an honour, going to Shattuck's.

He wouldn't dream of not going.

Dream he does.

He gets assigned a single room by the end of the first week, on account of being a 'fitful sleeper' who 'cannot guarantee an undisturbed night of sleep for his roommate'.

His monsters roam free.

It's a miserable time in many ways, except hockey.

Hockey is getting ever better.

Jonathan doesn't even want to think about what going to U of ND is going to entail. He especially doesn't want to think about his dorm mate.

Then TJ Oshie happens.

TJ is a bit of a miracle.

He looks at Jonny like he's funny, and not in a bad way, he looks at him like maybe he finds Jonny endearing, where other people think he's just weird. They hang out all the time, they both love hockey more than they love most other things and have an instant connection the likes of which Jonny hasn't experienced, well, ever. It's almost like sharing a room with his brother again.

The monsters seem calmed by TJ's smiling face that never seems to swim far from Jonny's vision.

Hockey is excellent.

Jonny is starting to believe that yeah, maybe he'll really make it.

It's a shock when he wakes up in the middle of the night, to the all too familiar feeling of burning lungs and a chest that feels to small to hold his heart. Jonny lets out a whimper, kicking the blankets away in a mad rush of limbs. There is a sleepy mumble from the other bed, but Jonny hardly notices over the drum of his heartbeat in his ears, a deafening roar that threatens to swallow the world, to swallow Jonny up until there is nothing left of him, nothing left but the monsters that will have finally triumphed.

There's something.

There's a hand on his shoulder.

There's hands gripping him and shaking him, telling him to wake up, it's just a dream. Wake Up Jonny.

Jonny opens his eyes. It's dark, the only source of light is the ridiculous Lilo and Stitch nightlight that TJ had insisted on, it throws a bluish glow over TJ, crouching in front of Jonny and still holding onto his shoulders.

Jonny takes a deep breath, his chest still feels like a weight had been crushing it, but he can breathe again and every rushed intake of breath is a revelation.

'You okay, bro?' TJ asks and Jonny could cry with relief, relief for still being here, for having TJ around. He gives a weak nod, the most he can manage.

Jonny can't be sure, but he thinks TJ is giving him dubious looks. 'Yeah, almost believed you, bud' and with that TJ unceremoniously pushes him over.

Jonny is too stunned to resist. He lands on his back with a soft whoosh and feels the bed dip, as TJ lies down next to him.

'But-' he tries to argue.

'Shhh' TJ cuts him off. 'Just sleep'.

And Jonathan, well, he's not one to argue.

As TJ is sneaking his arm around Jonny's waist and pulling him surreptitiously closer, Jonny is already drifting off.

Jonny sleeps.

So do the monsters.


End file.
